I can't drop a kangaroo with a .270 on the spot, what am I doing wrong?

Question

I am shooting kangaroos with a .270 win. using 130 gr. Nosler ballistic tips, and im finding that when shooting roos at at 100-200meters they run of for about 50-80meters before falling dead, and im shooting them in the chest. Should I use the 110gr ballistic tips to try and exert more damage? Or should I shoot them in another part of the body that might do more damage to drop them instantly? apart from the head.

I do have a perimit if your woundering and i have an exemption to shoot them in the chest instead of the head.

Answer 1

Actually, there is nothing abnormal about how they are doing after you shoot them.  Many animals will run a short distance before collapsing.  I hunt white tail deer here in the states and I have seen a deer that has been shot through his heart and the heart completely destroyed, run up to 100 yards before collapsing.  I guess the little b******s are just too dumb to know when they are dead.

Answer 2

A chest shot destroys the circulatory system.

It's not going to drop them instantly.

At 100-200 meters the chest shot is probably your best

'humane kill' option.

You might try a hollow point bullet to bleed them out faster,

but i wouldn't expect too much of a difference.

Answer 3

Roo's are not that big, your bullet may not be completely expanding and getting the most out of it before exiting. My best friend shoots a 115 Hornady VMax in his 270 for Coyote. That is a devastating bullet. That should knock the hop out of a Roo. Give it a try.

Answer 4

I asked someone about this - this is their anser ,,, sounds like you are not hitting them in the right spot.

Their advice was is to shoot in the neck .. or the head.

Answer 5

Aim higher in the chest. The characteristic "teardrop" shape of the Roo's chest places it's vitals slightly higher than center-of-mass.

I'd think the 130 grain bullet would impart more energy, but you might try the lighter bullet. Perhaps the 130grain is overpenetrating before it expands sufficently. God Bless.

I'm here in America (Arkansas), so guessing is about the best I can do. We did have one Kangaroo on the loose here once though. A sherrifs deputy found it after several locals had reported seeing one in the area. I remember his call on the scanner...

"Well, I've found it.

It's just standing here looking at me.

........Now what?"

It was hilarious. Turns out it was escaped from a local wealthy farmer who was called to come and pick it up. As far as I know, it's still 'kickin'.

Answer 6

I have never roo hunted, but judging from their body construction, a chest shot is probably not allowing the Nosler to expand as fully as it would in a chest shot on a deer sized animal. Most likely you're getting through and through hits on the chest of the roo, producing two good holes, but you're not getting the kind of expansion you're needing to stop the roo in its track. Two options, try another bullet type, possibly a jsp or jhp, or slow the bullet down by reducing the powder charge, it might allow the bullet to expand more before it exits.

Answer 7

You can shoot a deer in the heart and it will live for about 7 seconds.  That can translate into them running about 70 yards.  I'm not sure if the kangaroos are the same, but it wouldn't surprise me.  

If they aren't dropping instantly, that really isn't a problem.  When an animal drops instantly, it usually doesn't die instantly.  It usually means you hit something internally that paralized it.

A heart shot is best.  A head shot will definitely do it, but if you miss, the animal could be badly wounded.  For example, if the bottom jaw is shot off, the animal would not be able to chew or drink and would die of dehydration.. we're talking about days of suffereing as opposed to a few seconds.

But as far as the bullet weight goes, the heavier bullet will be more effective.